Rise of the Argentine Empire

Saint Hethar's original family were cattle ranchers on the Pampas grasslands, so let's call it the Cohen Brothers Trading Company.

This newly established company will handle the business distribution of Saint Hethar's various factories. Future development will involve larger-scale operations, including various import and export trades, recruitment agencies, and international labor services, all of which will require Lucifer's help.

Lucian was officially appointed by Saint Hethar as the general manager of the Cohen Brothers Company, responsible for recruiting more suitable talents and workers for the factories in Maria Town, especially for the mechanical industry in Rosario and the Maria Mold Factory, to provide talent support for entering the military industry.

That's right, it's about to fall into a labor shortage, especially if it expands the garment factory and opens a shoe factory, as well as machinery factories and beverage factories, which are all major employers.

Therefore, the Cohen Brothers Company also has an important task, which is to prepare to introduce international labor. Not only is the labor cost cheaper, but it also avoids paying various welfare benefits for domestic workers proposed by the Peron government, after all, they are "international friends."

Especially with the establishment of Thunder Mining, which needs to expand in the short term, a large number of workers are needed. If it subsequently enters Bolivia's coal mine production and iron ore mining and production, in addition to large-scale mining machinery and equipment, many miners are needed, so it must plan ahead.

Although it sounds a bit immoral, unfortunately, the American Yankees treat Mexican laborers like this, and the later South Korean rise of the "sweatshops" was also like this. In order to increase profits, accelerate the speed of development, and seize development opportunities, Saint Hethar can only wrong these foreigners.

It is worth mentioning that,

At this time, Brazil has nearly 54 million people, Bolivia has almost 6 million, Peru has 14 million, Chile has 10 million, and Cuba before the revolution also has 6 million. Argentina has only a little over 17 million. This population is indeed not enough to develop industry domestically, and there are frequent strikes. International labor is a very cost-effective choice.

Argentina currently ranks 23rd in the world in terms of population, lower than India, the Union of Burma, Thailand, the Philippines, Egypt, Vietnam, Turkey, Poland, Mexico, Ethiopia, South Korea, and Pakistan, which are just starting out. It cannot be compared with major industrial countries.

It still has more than countries like Persia, Romania, Yugoslavia, South Africa, and Canada, and Australia.

Among them, the rapid population growth of Persia and Turkey has played an important role in their becoming the two most powerful industrial countries in the Middle East in later generations.

Small Japan has 83 million, the United States has 152 million, the Soviet Union has 179 million, France has 42 million, Italy has 47 million, the United Kingdom has 50 million, the two Germanys together have 68 million, of which West Germany has more than 40 million, and Spain has 28 million.

Traditional European powers and big countries all have far more people than Argentina now. Argentina's population cannot support larger-scale industrial construction and markets. Now it needs to grab people and bring the surrounding small countries into Saint Hethar's factory construction and development.

Saint Hethar has already considered it. If formal channels don't work, he will start from the border of the Lithium Triangle, starting with Bolivian laborers. After arriving in Buenos Aires, he will control the newspaper and use public opinion to bombard the Peron government's labor policy. These are just some preliminary simple ideas. Now Argentina is not too lenient or too strict towards international immigrants from the Spanish-speaking region.

Although Argentina introduced a large number of European immigrants in the 19th and 20th centuries, such a small population is difficult to support a larger industrial system, population, and market. For the sake of development, this is also a choice that must be made in the future.

Developing industry is the top priority for a country's rise. The United States is still blocking the import of industrial equipment into Argentina. It must first earn more money before it can buy production lines from European countries.

Now, developing shoes and clothes is also a last resort. There is also unfortunate news that Argentina's foreign exchange reserves are about to dry up due to the devaluation of the pound and some sly operations. The national treasury is also almost empty. The Peron government will have to prepare to negotiate with the Americans to open the market in two years. This is one of the reasons for his downfall.

And the United States will fall into a protracted Cold War and a small hot war in Vietnam in a few years, changing from controlling to supporting the rise of small Japan.

You should know that today's Japan is a world population power with more than 80 million people, and with the support of the United States, and after economic and political reforms, its rise is unstoppable.

Saint Hethar is still in the stage of primitive accumulation.

Building several competitive companies to provide financial support for future power grabs is also a last resort. Industrialization must have sufficient funds and a large number of talents who understand economic development. Now, it can only start by developing companies to cultivate some.

It has to be said that although Argentina has nationalized some companies that are vital to the national economy and people's livelihood, such as railway companies, its competitiveness is still relatively weak. Coupled with mandatory high welfare and corruption, it seriously lacks international competitiveness. Now, it can only rely on exporting some simple, low-quality industrial products and various mutton to earn foreign exchange. This year, it doesn't even have grain to export.

Saint Hethar plans to break through the blockade and change to the direction of international trade exports, which is also an urgent matter that must be done. The domestic market is too small,

Moreover, if you want to buy production lines in the future, you can't buy them without money. Although more often, others won't sell even if you have money. Of course, in two years, Western Europe will recover and rise, and there will be five or six countries to choose from, so it doesn't matter if there is one less America. Especially France is very ambitious and can be a good breakthrough point, and West Germany, Spain, and Italy may be opportunities.

......

In the afternoon, Saint Hethar officially announced the formation of the Cohen Brothers Company, witnessed by several people in the business department.

Then there is registering the company and renting a larger office, all of which need Lucifer to operate, which is also a training of his ability.

Establish a intermediary department, sales business department, recruitment department, international export department, transportation department, and warehousing department. The most important financial department is managed by personnel dispatched from Rosa in Maria Town to handle financial management, report preparation, and other tasks.

"Miller, the matter of registering the company is entrusted to you. You need to quickly expand the company in a short period of time. The first task is to transport 1,000 more workers to Maria Town,"

"I will let Guerrero of Thunder Mining contact you, and he will also contact you if there are any problems. You can contact Cross, the mayor of Covo Town, in Maria Town more often, they are all trustworthy people."

"The most important thing is to poach people. If you can poach a few engineers from the weapons factory, I will issue a reward. The signing of the poached people should be connected with the gunpowder factory, which has military qualifications."

"Understood, boss."

"In addition to company development, you also need to do a good job in the company's facade. The company's decoration must look reliable in order to find more employees and give people a strong sense of strength."

"For the department, temporarily follow what I have written and recruit one by one. You can send me a fax report at that time. Rosa is still responsible for financial wages for the time being."

"As for wages, materials, and money, don't worry at all. I will give you the greatest support. I am still very confident in this regard. You should also discuss with other factory directors more at that time."

"No problem, boss, I will definitely work hard on this."

Lucian is still very reassuring to do things, and his ability is also quite outstanding. Among the several sales businesses recommended by Cross, he and Little Knicks developed the best, saving the fledgling cannery and gnawing down the canned food market.

Lucian was also a little surprised by Saint Hethar's huge development plan,

The two chatted for a whole afternoon, from personnel arrangements, department establishment, company development, poaching skills, talent recruitment, political and business relations, and international trade, there was a series of communication and instruction.

Let Lucian be full of confidence and expectations for the future development of Saint Hethar, this half-baked guy. Saint Hethar originally planned to go to the Guevara family to take a look, but he couldn't find them, so he just let it go because of the urgency of time.

The development of the Cohen Brothers Company cannot bypass the Rosario City Hall and these government departments and forces,

Especially the influence of the local family forces behind the scenes, whether the development and growth will cause dissatisfaction among others,

Needs to be dealt with and resolved one by one,

To Saint Hethar's surprise, this problem was actually the easiest to solve,

The reason is that Lucian actually has a huge advantage, his wife Bessie is actually from an old family in Rosario, although it is a bit declining, it can be regarded as quite influential, this was only learned when the two chatted.

I don't even know how they met in the first place – a poor boy and the apple of a long-established family's eye. I'll leave the socializing to Lucifer; I can just work behind the scenes.

No wonder that kid Lucien is developing so smoothly in Rosario. Besides his outstanding abilities, another reason is that he found a good wife.

But then again, Lucien does have a handsome face, only slightly inferior to my own, Saint Hérse thought pleasantly.

He took a serious look at Lucien for the first time. He had delicate features, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his nose, making him look refined. He wore a simple white shirt, and had a good figure. His wheat-colored skin looked very healthy. He was listening attentively to Saint Hérse impart knowledge, taking notes diligently in a notebook.

Moreover, looking at his attitude towards Bessie, whether it's doing housework, cooking, or washing dishes, he enjoys it. It's not an act.

And the happy expression when he's with Bessie really made Saint Hérse feel like he was bombarded with dog food.

The degree of their affection is said to be love at first sight, which is amazing. He's dedicated and handsome... If I were Bessie, I would definitely like this guy too.

When I first met him, he seemed relatively calm and didn't talk much, but he had quite insightful opinions. He even received a recommendation from Klaus, the director of the Plarri factory at the time, and became the first person he recognized. Although Little Knicks being his nephew also played a part, Lucifer has always done well and is now the key distributor for several provinces near Saint Fé, besides Saint Fé itself.

As they talked, they returned to Lucifer's background. Lucien's father was a fisherman who made a living in the port of Blanca in Buenos Aires Province, one of the largest seaports in Argentina.

Once, he went out to sea to fish and encountered a tsunami and disappeared. As a result, his mother remarried and did not take Lucien with her to form a new family. At the age of 7, Little Lucifer returned to his hometown of Olavarría and lived with his grandfather. As a result, his grandfather fell ill and passed away.

At the age of 9, he was taken to Córdoba by his grandmother to continue his studies.

Because he had moved around to many places when he was young and didn't have a good foundation, he was already 19 years old when he finished the 5th year of middle school and didn't get a diploma. He worked as a worker in small workshops, a waiter in restaurants, a dishwasher in the back kitchen, and a porter at the docks, but lost his job many times.

When he was 20 years old, his grandmother passed away, and he was kicked out by his grandmother's family. Only then did he venture into society on his own. He finally came to Saint Hérse's factory to work as a worker and was discovered by Klaus to become a salesman, which was considered a real foothold.

After listening to Lucifer's account, Saint Hérse couldn't help but sigh that this Lucien really did have a tragic life. It was too bumpy. He must be a very strong person at heart, and also a gentle person.

The two completely opened their hearts and talked for a long time, learning a lot about each other.

Lucien is also a person who loves to learn, and his eloquence is indeed very good, but he is not very willing to talk. He and Bessie studied together and spent difficult days. Bessie is a graduate of the University of La Plata. For her to marry this poor boy Lucien, the two can really be regarded as marrying for love.

Lucien also said that Bessie's family was originally very opposed to this marriage and did not agree to their union, setting many obstacles for Lucien. Later, they finally relented after he bought a house and a car.

They allowed their precious daughter to marry Lucien. Lucien is also a promising person who works very hard and has been rewarded.

He also continued to study and take night classes with Bessie's support. The two truly supported each other, and their relationship became even deeper.

Lucien is very grateful to his boss, Saint Hérse. He is quite generous with the sales commission for his subordinates, and Lucien's business has always been firmly in second place in the Plarri factory. This is still because Little Knicks has Saint Hérse's support in Buenos Aires. It is quite inspiring.

It is also because of Saint Hérse's generosity that Lucien is able to earn a super high salary of 30,000 pesos per month, which also allows him to save enough down payment funds in a short time. Bessie also contributed a lot in the process.

The two chatted from 1:00 PM until 5:00 PM, leaving work early.

Lucien and Saint Hérse first went to the vegetable market to buy a bunch of fresh vegetables, meat, and some special seasonings.

Saint Hérse plans to show off his skills today, make a few stir-fries, and let the couple see what the technology of the foodie country is.

Bessie and Lucien also looked quite expectant, honestly waiting on the sofa for dinner to be served.

Saint Hérse used all his strength and spent more than an hour making braised pork ribs, chicken stew with mushrooms, cola chicken wings, hot and sour shredded potatoes, two plates of local seasonal vegetables, and a pot of carrot, potato, and corn rib soup.

The cola was taken by Saint Hérse from Lucien's house. It is produced by the Plarri soda factory and is now a very popular soda among Argentinians, second only to the most popular orange-flavored soda, which has contributed a lot of profit to Saint Hérse.

The hot and sour shredded potatoes are made with lemon juice and a local green pepper, with a slightly spicy flavor, sour and spicy, which is very suitable for pregnant women.

"Boss, I didn't expect you to be able to cook. It's really delicious. Just like my Miller, men who love to cook are especially charming. It's so delicious."

"Hey, Bessie, if you say that, your husband and I will be sad." Lucien rarely joked.

"It's nothing. I learned this from an old man from New China. What he makes is really delicious. Miller, you should get Bessie a bowl of soup. Ladies should drink more of this kind of soup, it can beautify and nourish the skin." Saint Hérse boasted, but it was actually just ordinary home-style soup.

"By the way, Miller, Bessie is preparing for pregnancy, so it's best not to eat too greasy food. You can eat more vegetables and fruits to supplement vitamins."

"Boss, fruits are still a bit expensive now. There should be some cherries this year, but that's in November."

"That's true. It shouldn't be dry next year. This is also the fault of the Peron government. Of course, if it weren't for his monopoly policy, there would be no development of the cannery. Haha, I should thank him too." Saint Hérse took a bite of the cola chicken wings, which were soft and juicy.

Saint Hérse also felt a little emotional about being able to sell canned food in a major fruit-producing country, which was a small miracle.

Besides the fact that the markets in various parts of Argentina were somewhat closed and there was not much contact between them,

Saint Hérse was given the opportunity, and it was also related to Peron's suppression of the purchase price of agricultural products and the increase in the market selling price to earn profits for the treasury. Saint Hérse had dug a hole in the wall.

"How about this, I will give you an additional 1,000 pesos per month for a fruit fund, specifically for Mrs. Bessie."

"Then thank you so much, boss."

"You are so generous."

Lucien also knew that this was Saint Hérse trying to find ways to benefit him. He declined for a while and then accepted. As for 1,000 pesos a month, it was also quite good to be able to improve the relationship with his subordinates.

It is indeed not easy for Lucien to support his wife and children. For these subordinates of the company, Saint Hérse has nothing left but the superposition of emotion and financial benefits. This is also the only thing he can do.

"Boss, Bessie and I discussed it last night,

and we want you to be the godfather of my unborn child. I don't know if you are willing." Lucien held Bessie's hand and said with a serious face.

The world is too dangerous, and children must have two fathers, as the Italians say. The meaning of godfather is that when the child reaches a certain age, the child's father will ask a local person of prestige and authority to act as the child's godfather.

Saint Hérse is a non-religious person in his bones, but he has to pretend to believe in Catholicism. This is also related to the strong Spanish and Italian immigrant culture in Argentina, which has a considerable influence.

"I am very honored. Just let me know when the time comes. I will give you my contact information when I arrive in Buenos Aires."

"By the way, when is Bessie's expected date of delivery?" Saint Hérse took a sip of soda.

"Around September, about 5 months away." Bessie touched her belly and said with a happy face.

"No problem, then it's settled." September is just the time for the winter vacation at Argentine universities, and I will have time to return to Rosario.

The three of them chatted for a while, and didn't finish eating until 9:00 PM.

On the evening of the third day, Saint Hérse finally prepared to leave. Before leaving, Saint Hérse once again urged Lucien that in addition to work, he should also take good care of Bessie and his own body, and looked forward to the next meeting.

The two hugged each other and said goodbye to Rosario, this beautiful city.

With a toot of the steam whistle, the steam train chugged slowly towards Buenos Aires, towards a bright future.

On April 9, 1951, MacArthur was relieved of his command as Commander-in-Chief of the United Nations Forces by Truman, and the Korean War was about to end.